Meanwhile my brother enrolled for Bachelor of Commerce degree which he dropped out due to drugs and partly maybe because he wanted to take on a baking and pastry course (I’m not sure whether this was the source of all problems as he is passionate about this).

On finishing high school, my stepmother left as she had issues with my brother who issued death threats to her in addition to drug abuse thus causing a strain in the relationships at home.

It was chaotic. Even though he had been taken to many rehabilitation centres, he always escaped before completing the programme.

DAD AND HIS DRINKING

My dad started drinking more when she left. He had been drinking moderately when we were growing up but this time he was unable to control his intake.

My relatives took dad to a rehab at about the same time that I joined campus.

It was during this time that my brother sold things at home- all electronics and anything of value instead-of taking care of our home.

He had been given a chance to go back to school where instead he would still go to drug dens.

Dad left rehab an unchanged man and still kept drinking. He fought with my brother over and eventually reported him to the police for selling household goods. My brother spent almost a year in prison.

Somehow, there was forgiveness and charges were dropped. My other brother went to stay with my grandparents.

Back from prison, the cycle started again, my brother became violent, chaos at home, windows all broken, even the electricity bill skyrocketed and was eventually disconnected, and dad got into more drinking then rehab.

Dad being a teacher had to take an early retirement since he couldn't even go to work.

By God's grace I finished campus, somehow my fees got paid by dad and HELB but in terms of pocket money.

I don't even know how I made it through as my dad was always absent but my relatives supported me a great deal.

One of our family friends offered to stay with my brother and help him establish himself, get him a place to work in a bakery or even start his own business, he did this for a while then he went back home to just stay there.

I got an internship immediately after finishing campus but somehow couldn't keep at it as too much was going on at home and I was constantly being called to attend to issues.

We asked for mass at home to just ask for God's blessings. Dad received his retirement pension.

Things got worse and we had to shift to a new town to try and see whether dad would stop drinking but no change happened. When dad was out drinking my brother would sell even foodstuff to get money go drink.

Then one day dad fell ill and he had to have someone next to him at the hospital .I had to quit my internship and go be with him.

COUSINS LIVED NEAR THE HOSPITAL

Luckily my cousins lived near the hospital so we would alternate spending nights at the hospital.